The Inuyasha Variety Pack
by Sorcha Inisheer
Summary: Ever wish you could find short stories for all Inuyasha genres in one convenient place? Now you can! Here you will find a one-shot story for each Inuyasha genre. Try all the lovely flavors of Inuyasha with no money down and no obligation.
1. Angst

Hello and thanks in advance for reading my story. This is the first thing I've tried on this website, which is why I decided to do a bit of everything. When all the stories have been added on I'll be asking for opinions on which one was liked best, so pay attention! The genres will be posted in random order.

First up…

_**Angst**_

_The sun was setting in a flaming orange sky across the ocean, but the young hanyou did not see its beauty. His senses were filled with salt water and cruel taunts. He struggled against the older village boys holding his head under the water, but they were bigger and stronger than him regardless of his half-demon blood. He winced again as another strike fell onto his back from a whippy branch held by another boy._

_"Look at the little puppy-boy! Ya got fleas, puppy-boy?" jeered the boys, pulling his head out of the water just long enough for him to gasp for air, then plunging it down again. He let out an involuntary yelp as the whip branch lashed across his dog-like silver ears._

_"Awww, listen to the puppy cry!" laughed the oldest of the three boys, yanking on the small hanyou's long, silver hair to raise his head out of the water again, "You're pathetic!"_

_"Let go of me! I'm warning you..." cried the small boy._

_"Ohhh, you're _warning_ us!" the older boys hooted. The boy holding their victim's hair hurled him aside onto the rough sand. "What're ya gonna do, call your big, scary demon daddy on us?" _

_The young hanyou's eyes filled with tears at the words and he lept up off the sand. He turned and dashed away along the beach. _

_"That's right, go home, little doggy! Run with your tail between your legs!" the boys hollered after him. The tormented hanyou's vision blurred as the tears welled up and spilled out, streaking along the sides of his face...so many tears..._

Tears...

Inuyasha opened his eyes to gaze up at the starry night sky. He sat up and found his face wet with tears. He brushed them away angrily. He'd tried his best to forget those times, sworn he'd never let himself be so weak again, but at night the memories still drifted back. Inuyasha remembered how all he'd wanted was to play with the others, to fit in. But they'd only shunned him. Tormented him. He twitched his dog ears, the old scars on them making their presence known. He'd wanted so much to be accepted, but the human children refused him. Even today, he was treated like dirt by humans and demons alike. But he had learned to harden his heart to it. No one would ever want him, it was better to just accept it. He lay back down again to go to sleep. It was no use hoping for what never was and what never would be.

_**The End**_

A/N: This actually was the first one I wrote, and one of the easiest. I got the idea from the demon-bat episodes where you see little Inuyasha(so cute!)being harassed by other demons. This is also one of the shortest; the fics tended to get longer as I went along.

Please remember to review and know that constructive criticism is the best kind and most appreciated.


	2. Drama

Thanks to all who read the first chapter, thanks _and _delicious cookies to those who reviewed. See? Read + review happy stuff. Any questions?

The next chapter will be the soap-opera junkie's delight:

**_Drama_**

"There is nothing I can do for him."  
Kaede's words rang around the small clearing, echoing in the stunned ears of Kagome, Sango, Shippo and Miroku. They turned their shocked eyes to Inuyasha, lying unconscious on the ground. He was just visible in the dim firelight. It was all the light they had on this night, the night of the New Moon. What was happening was terrible, but they hadn't realized how terrible until now.  
"What are you saying? That Inuyasha is…he will…" Kagome couldn't finish her sentence.  
"As I've told you before, this virus only affects half-demons and has an extremely high death rate," Kaede stated bluntly. "Inuyasha would have been able to withstand it in his demon form, but in his weakened human state, he will most likely not survive."  
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Sango asked in a very quiet voice.  
Kaede was silent for a few minutes. Then she spoke, turning her gaze to the east. "The only thing that may save him is if you can keep him alive until dawn, when he will revert to demon form. Then he should be able to fight off the virus. I can supply you with some poultices and such, but I'm afraid I can't stay with you tonight." She pulled a few items out of a bag she carried and handed them to Miroku.  
"I shall pray for you all. Good luck."

_Sango 9:00 P.M. – 11:35 P.M._

If anyone had told me a year ago that I'd one day be staying up this late trying to _save_ a demon, I'd have said they'd been hitting the spiked green tea a mite too long.  
But now that it's actually happening, it seems to make perfect sense.  
Inuyasha…he can be a royal pain sometimes (okay, _often_), but behind all the smoke and mirrors he throws at everyone, he does have a heart. His eyes when I speak of my brother tell me that somehow, he understands. But his expression now is tortured with pain, quite different from his usual scowl. I arrange a damp cloth on his head, trying to keep his fever down. There's not much else to be done. Miroku has gone to look for more medicinal herbs; Kagome and Shippo are trying to rest. I know they're not asleep.  
Suddenly Inuyasha's eyes fly open and he sits bolt upright. I can't help but jump back in surprise. My shock is doubled when he starts hollering to the night.  
"Challenge me, will ya, Sesshoumaru? C'mon, I'll take you! I'll knock your stupid head off!" I hear Kagome and Shippo scramble up as I try to calm Inuyasha. He has a crazed, feverish look in his dark brown eyes as he swings his imaginary sword. I yell, "Inuyasha, lay down! Sesshoumaru's not here! You need to rest!"  
"No, I gotta slice Sesshie, is what I gotta do!" He lunges forward, and I drag him back down to his makeshift bed. My mind seems to be in pieces. I can't think of what to do. I can hear Kagome trying to calm Inuyasha without success. I can't hold him much longer.  
"_Lay down little demon, baby of mine. The stars are all smiling, for you do they shine,_" I don't know why I'm singing this old baby song. I used to sing it for Kohaku when he wouldn't sleep. I told him he was such a little demon sometimes. Kagome knows about the song's origin, but no one else. Amazingly, Inuyasha stops struggling to listen.  
"_Save your mischief for the morrow's daylight. Sweetest of demons, slumber this night." _Inuyasha lets me push him back down onto the bed. I keep humming the tune and his breathing slows down to normal. I smile. I haven't thought about that song in ages. It reminds me so much of Kohaku…  
Now that the panic has left me I feel so tired. I slump to the ground and hear Kagome's voice, "You rest now, Sango." Then Shippo: "I'll watch Inuyasha now."  
I only have the strength to mutter, "I'll let you."

_Shippo 11:45 P.M. - 2:00 A.M._

Every now and then Shippo would wonder why he kept traveling with Inuyasha and the others. He knew his original reason had been revenge on the Thunder Brothers, but that idea had been further and further from his mind lately.  
A couple of hours had passed since Sango had sung Inuyasha to sleep. Shippo woke the sick half-demon every half hour or so to make him drink some water. The fox kit felt a certain pride in being trusted with Inuyasha's care when he was so ill. But the feeling of pride took a backseat to worry.  
Inuyasha was sleeping now. Shippo looked at the sky, wishing it would lighten and save his friend's life.  
Friend? Shippo thought of how Inuyasha sniped at him, beat on him and made fun of him. But still, Inuyasha was there when he was needed. Inuyasha was more than a friend. He was like a brother. A stab of pain shot to Shippo's heart every time he thought of his lost family, but since he'd been with the group, the pain had lessened and Shippo had found the warmth of being with people who cared about him again. Mostly it was Kagome, but the others looked out for him, too.  
Inuyasha tossed a bit, moaning with fever. Shippo grabbed the water bottle, raised Inuyasha's head and trickled a few drops into his mouth. Inuyasha swallowed, and his eyes opened just a little.  
"Thanks…Shippo…" His eyes closed again, and his shallow breathing resumed.  
Shippo set Inuyasha's head down.  
"You're welcome, Brother."

_Miroku 2:06 A.M. – 4:30 A.M._

"Great Spirit Kami, we pray that you would have mercy on the soul of…" Miroku stopped praying with a sigh. He didn't think the prayers were working any more than he thought Sesshoumaru would adopt Shippo. Inuyasha's breathing had become even more labored in the past hour, and it was still a couple more hours until daybreak. Kagome had been up to check on Inuyasha a few times, and the monk had told her to go back to sleep. But he still caught stifled sobs from her direction. Miroku's worry was split between Inuyasha and Kagome. He was sure that if Inuyasha died, a part of Kagome would die with him.  
Miroku shook his head to clear negative thoughts from it. There was still a chance to save Inuyasha, and he had to do everything possible to help. Miroku administered some more medicine to Inuyasha, then sat back. The only sounds were the woods' night song and Inuyasha's shallow breathing.  
"You have to live, Inuyasha," Miroku said. His voice seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet of the forest. "If you die, Kagome will be lost." Then he added sternly, "And the rest of us won't be too happy, either." Inuyasha mumbled something in his sleep. Taking that as a good sign, Miroku kept talking.  
"After all, where would we find another stubborn, willful, one-track-minded, emotionally constipated, half-dog demon?" Miroku chuckled a bit, thinking of the list of traits Inuyasha had that the rest of them had learned to live with. "Who's going to argue with me over who gets to kill Naraku, and who's going to get us into bad situations with his hot-headedness and get us out again with the Tetsusaiga? Who's going to annoy Kagome?" Miroku thought, then: "Well, I suppose _I _could annoy her, but I've got my hands pretty full with Sango."  
Miroku fell silent. He'd seen plenty of death in his life. He'd been present at family crises, waiting in the wings to bless the lost soul should the unthinkable happen. But death had never seemed quite so cruel as it did now.  
"Miroku."  
The monk jumped and turned around to see Kagome standing behind him. He hadn't even heard her approach. "Yes, Kagome?"  
"I'll watch him now."  
Miroku hesitated, but decided that it was right that Kagome should be the final watcher.  
She should know first whether this night would end in tragedy or triumph.

_Kagome 4:30 A.M. – 6:25 A.M._

I'm not going to cry. Crying won't help anyone now. I'm not going to holler and rail at Inuyasha for getting sick, tell him I'll kill him if he dies. I'm just going to wait. Either he'll make it or he won't.  
Wow. I really have lost it.  
I should be weeping and wailing now, begging Inuyasha not to leave me and all that. But I'm not. I just tell him every now and then, "Don't die, Inuyasha." I'm pretty sure he can still hear us. He's had a couple more delirious fits, hollering away about something nonsensical, but in between, he's usually peaceful. If you could call a state of burning sickness peaceful.  
Sango brings some more medicine over occasionally, but we don't talk. None of us do. Because losing Inuyasha would be terrible beyond words. No one ever says so, but he means a lot to all of us. Maybe even Naraku and Sesshoumaru would miss pounding on him.  
I've seen a million situations just like this one on T.V. at home. Ones where someone falls deathly ill and all his friends and family can do is wait…wait and worry. And even though we're in this little forest clearing with electricity hundreds of years from being invented, I can hear the heart monitor. That little machine that's always the first to know, the first to scream to the world that your loved one is dead. I hear it beeping steadily...and as hard as I try not to, I imagine the moment when the beeping will turn into the single, high-pitched, screechy wail.  
Suddenly Inuyasha's breath catches in his throat. Is this the end?  
No. Don't do this to us.  
His breath comes again, but it's so shallow it might stop any second. My eyes are so dry they burn. I lean over to listen to Inuyasha's heart. The beat is very faint, but the sky is lightening! Don't give up, Inuyasha. Not now. You're so close…  
Shippo buries his face in my sleeve and sniffles. I don't turn around, but I know that Miroku and Sango are standing behind me. We're all willing Inuyasha to keep breathing, to hold on, to live. I sense the sun is just a millimeter away from coming over the horizon. Inuyasha exhales raggedly.  
The next breath doesn't come. We wait ten seconds, twenty, a minute. Nothing.  
And the sun breaks over the hills.  
I check for a heart beat…there is none.  
"Kagome?" It's Sango's voice.  
"He's dead."  
Sango gasps, Shippo sobs. Miroku slumps to the ground. Inuyasha almost made it. But it's over. And we failed.  
But…something's odd. Inuyasha's hair…it's almost imperceptible, but silver is slowly sweeping through it. Collective gasps sound from the others as they notice. The color change is speeding up! Inuyasha's finger nails are growing, too! I exhale in a rush with a shuddering sob. And as if my breath has entered Inuyasha, his chest rises and draws in life-giving air. His silky dog ears poke up out of his hair…and his eyes open. I never thought I'd be so glad to see that strange shade of gold. I smile at him.  
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Inuyasha."

A/N: This is probably the longest ficand was one of the most troublesome genres to me. Only one other took longer to come up with. Which one? If you keep reading, you'll find out. I was trying to do put a variety of the characters in these and I though Kikyo would be a good subject for drama, but no real story ever came to me for her. She didn't make it into any of these genre-fics except for one brief, sneaky mention. For this one, Shippo's part was the easiest to write. Tie for hardest comes between Miroku, because I don't get any particular sense for his relationship with Inuyasha, and Kagome, because I was _continually interrupted _while writing it!

Thanks for taking the time to read, and please take a few more minutes to 1. Review, constructive criticism and opinions on myvision of each genre being the preferred kind,and 2. Bring me a flyswatter for the giant fly that seems to be in a holding pattern around my computer now.


	3. Poetry

The second update and third genre fic has arrived! It would have been here sooner, but the train got lost.

It may not be in motion, but it's still:

_Poetry_

Silver ears, gold eyes  
Half human, half demon dog  
Be good or you SIT!

Reincarnation  
Finder of the Shikon shards  
Inuyasha's love

Black-hearted rival  
Coveting the sacred gem  
Evil incarnate

Demon slayer's friend  
Fangs, red eyes and paws of flame  
Or cute and fluffy

Cursed with wind tunnel  
Blessed with some tolerant friends  
Just keep your hands off!

Though you have jewel shards  
You cannot claim Kagome  
Get a clue, wolfie!

Barely known by name  
Beast of Fluffy, friend of Rin  
Silent two-in-one

A/N: My first idea for this was to do some long, epic, descriptive poem about Inuyasha himself, but then it occurred to me that I've never had much luck with long, epic, descriptive poems and decided to settle for haiku. These are, as you might have noticed, haikus describing individual characters. I imagine most of you will have no trouble connecting each poem to the right character, with the possible exception of the last one. And even if you recognize the character, do you know the name?

Be kind to writers and review. Not that I'm not pleased with the one review the last chapter got(thanks, Okazin!), but more than that would be nice.


	4. Fantasy

We all know reality can get tiresome. If we didn't, why would we be on this website? It's times like that I'm glad there's always:

_Fantasy_

"Kisho, do pegasuses exist?"  
The pinky blue clouds of the sunrise reflected in the undisturbed surface of the lake and the world was still at a peaceful silence in the dawn hours. The birds and forest animals were just beginning to stir, but the two wolf demons sitting by the clear, mirror-like water had been fishing for an hour already. Kisho, the elder wolf, turned to the pup who was his charge for the day.  
"Of course not, Koga. Winged, flying horses? What nonsense. Who's been filling your head with such silly myths?"  
Koga looked away. He'd been hoping Kisho would tell him differently. This disdainful scoffing was not what he'd wanted to hear.  
"Satu told me," he said in a small voice.  
Kisho let out a bark-like laugh and shook back his mane of iron gray hair. "Satu will believe any fool thing she hears! You should concentrate on more useful things." He jerked upward on his fishing pole and effortlessly landed a fish. Koga remained silent.  
Koga had thought Satu's tales of flying white horses with huge, feathery wings as soft as clouds were too wonderful to be true. But part of him still hoped that such creatures existed. Satu, a pup around Koga's age, was known in the pack for having an overactive imagination, and she was a fantastic story teller. Usually she would admit the incredibility of her stories, but she'd been adamant that winged horses were real. Koga had decided to ask an older member of the pack for the truth, but he hadn't realized that he would feel so disappointed if the horses proved fictional.  
"Koga!"  
The wolf pup's head shot up and he looked around at Kisho, who was staring back at him exasperatedly.  
"Quit daydreaming! I've told you twice already, we're running low on bait. Go find some more."  
"Right! Okay!" Koga hopped up off the grass and laid his rod aside. He picked up the bait can and headed off toward the trees.  
"If you ever want to be a respected member of the pack, you'd better get your head out of the clouds!" Kisho called. Koga stiffened and turned toward Kisho, but Kisho was not looking at him. His face reddened a bit and he trailed away into the forest. Who was Kisho to boss him around like that, anyway? The more Koga thought about it, the more it irritated him.  
_Exactly what is wrong with believing in the winged horses? _Koga wondered, his eyes scanning the ground for likely bait spots. Just because Kisho had never seen one didn't mean there weren't any.  
"They could be really good at hiding themselves," muttered Koga out loud to himself. "This place could be crawling with—Ow!" Not looking where he was going, Koga ran into something and fell back onto the dew-damp grass.  
"Stupid trees…" he mumbled, then looked up…and gasped. He was staring into a pair of large, silvery eyes that most definitely did not belong to a tree.  
It was a horse. The most magnificent he had ever seen. It towered over him, sleek and shining, but its head was lowered to be on level with Koga's. The horse's coat was a dappled, misty gray that blended in well with the shifting tree shadows. Every time Koga blinked, it seemed that he had to refocus on the horse to keep it from disappearing altogether. As Koga shakily got to his feet, his eyes traveled down the horse's body. When his gaze fell on its back, he almost fell down again in shock.  
"_Wings,_" he squeaked. A pair of feathery silver wings lay folded on the horse's back. As soon as he spoke, the horse lifted its nose and blew a warm, earth-scented breath into Koga's face. "Nice to meet you, too," Koga said in a stunned tone, without really knowing why he was speaking as though the horse had greeted him.  
Apparently satisfied that Koga was back on his feet, the horse turned and began to trot away into the shadows of the forest. Its hooves made no sound or imprint on the ground.  
"Wait!" Koga cried suddenly. He wondered about his sanity, yelling at a horse, but he couldn't just let it walk off. If he could catch the horse and tame it, everyone would know that they were real. Kisho would have to admit he was wrong. "Don't go."  
The horse halted and looked back at him, then strode towards him again. Startled, the wolf pup looked up to meet the horse's silver eyes. Koga stood as still as a statue as the horse looked at him. It almost seemed to look _through _him. It gave Koga a feeling of being searched inside and out, from his purest ideals to his darkest intent. It made him feel as though he needed to hide from the gentle eyes that now pierced him like darts. And suddenly, Koga found he was ashamed. Ashamed that he had considered trying to harness this wonderful and wild creature.  
"You should be free," he whispered. Although its mouth made no movement, Koga felt that as soon as he had breathed those words, the winged horse smiled. Koga looked down, expecting the horse to slip away. Instead, a gentle ruffling noise reached his ears. He lifted his eyes to find the horse extending both wings forward. It took one, two, three steps toward him, and the wolf pup was enfolded in its wings, the wonderful softness brushing his skin on all sides. Koga felt warmer and safer than he ever had in his life. He wanted to burrow down in those silver wings, curl up and sleep there forever. But the embrace lasted only for a moment, and the horse had already stepped back. It gave him a last warm look, then swept its wings through the air and took flight. As it disappeared from view, a thought ran through Koga's mind as clearly as though it had been whispered into his ear.  
"_You will be great someday."  
_Turning from the spot where the horse had stood moments ago, Koga's mind felt clear and strong. As though he, too, could soar above the trees. He knew now that it didn't matter weather Kisho or anyone believed him about winged horses.  
All that mattered was that he knew.

_The End_

A/N: All I can say here is that even though this one took awhile to get finished, I really enjoyed writing it. I love horses, especially dapple grays, and the chance to make a couple of original characters made it even better. I hope all you Koga fans had fun imagining how cute he was when he was little.  
Please review and tell me honestly how you liked it.  
The truth, though it sometimes hurts, is generally preferable to lies.


	5. Tragedy

If all the anime suddenly disappeared from the world, wouldn't it be a terrible:

_**Tragedy**_

"**L**ord Sesshoumaru?"  
Rin's voice broke in upon the demon lord's thoughts. He looked up to see the dingy brown walls of the small hut where they'd stopped for the night. Of course, Sesshoumaru and Jaken were used to sleeping out in the open, so it was for the girl's sake they were staying there.  
"You should be resting, Rin," chided Sesshoumaru mildly. "What is it?"  
"Well...I was just...I mean..." Rin trailed off uneasily.  
"Yes?"  
"I wanted to ask you...you're not going to leave me, are you?" burst out Rin.  
Sesshoumaru turned to her quizzically, wondering why she should ask such a thing. Rin gazed at him with fear and hope in her eyes.  
"Because, well, you know, my parents are gone, and the villagers hated me, and...I don't want you to leave me, too."  
Sesshoumaru's eyes softened. He didn't know why, but he couldn't help but care for Rin. "No, Rin, I will not leave you. For as long as you want, you may stay with me."  
Rin gazed at him gratefully. "Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru."  
Sesshoumaru gave the smallest half smile in return. "Do not worry, Rin. Now go to sleep. You need rest."  
"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru." Rin laid back down, her eyelids suddenly heavy, and drifted into deep, easy sleep.

**R**in's eyes snapped open, and she was left wondering what had caused her abrupt awakening. Her queries were answered as something slammed into one side of the hut. She looked up in time to see Sesshoumaru leap forward and slash through the wall. After a few moments, the dust cleared and settled, and they saw standing there the most horrific creature any of them had ever seen.  
It was about the size and shape of a man, covered in black fur and with long, black hair. Its golden eyes shone in the darkness, but most terrible of all were the two fangs protruding from its mouth, dripping some acidic green fluid. It gave off an aura of pure evil.  
"Lord Sesshoumaru?" said Jaken hesitantly.  
"Jaken, take Rin and go. Do not come back until the sun has risen," said Sesshoumaru in a steely tone. Then, seeing them hesitate, he yelled, "Go! This is no place for you!"  
"Come, Rin!" said Jaken and tugged at her sleeve.  
"No! I won't leave Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin cried and shoved Jaken away.  
"Jaken, get Rin away from here _now_!" snapped Sesshoumaru as the black demon advanced, breathing noxious fumes as it came.  
Jaken looked worriedly from one to the other, then stepped back. "Rin, I'm sorry about this!"  
"Sorry about wha..." THUD. Rin blacked out and fell.

**R**in awoke in a grassy clearing, and immediately sat up. The sun was rising over the trees.  
"What happened? Where's...?" Rin began wildly. Jaken turned to her. "What did you do?" she demanded.  
"Rin, please don't be angry! I had to obey Lord Sesshoumaru, so I knocked you out!" stammered Jaken.  
"Why you warty green..." Rin started, and then looked up. "The sun is up! We can start back now!" she said, "We have to find Lord Sesshoumaru!"  
"But..."  
"Come _on_!" Rin grabbed Jaken's arm and dashed away through the woods.

"**L**ord Sesshoumaru?" called Rin as they came back to the hut, now in ruins. "Lord Sesshoumaru?" She and Jaken trudged through the flattened wreckage. The horrible black demon lay dead a little way off. Jaken walked ahead of Rin, and came to a sudden stop.  
"Jaken? Why..." then she saw a white heap on the ground. Her heart stopped. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" She dashed to her fallen lord's side. He lay with his arms at strange angles. His eyes were shut.  
"Lord Sesshoumaru! Get up! We're back!" She shook his body. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"  
He did not stir. It was then that she spotted a small puncture wound on his neck that oozed green venom.  
"Get up! Please get up!" Rin gasped, tears flowing down her face. "Lord Sesshoumaru..." She dashed a hand across her eyes. "Don't leave me."  
"Rin..." said Jaken gently, a quaver in his voice."I think he's gone."  
"NO!" Rin screamed. Then her voice softened to a whisper. "No. He'll be back. He said he…he'd stay. We just have to wait." She pushed a few stray hairs off of Sesshomaru's face, then curled up against his cold body to wait for her lord to awaken.

_**The End**_

A/N: Aren't tragic character deaths fun? Of course with my liking for them I had to kill somebody for Tragedy. And making it Sesshoumaru made it even better by adding in Rin's reaction. It is my opinion that any story featuring Rin and Sesshoumaru requires a bit of reading into and fabrication on their relationship, at least on Sesshoumaru's part. Who knows what his real attitude toward her is? There must be something there, since he normally hates humans. I think the idea for the poison demon came from the picture on one of my brother's Duel Monster cards. Oo; Go figure.

Thanks for reading and please review.


	6. Mystery

How DO they get the little Ms on the M&Ms? It remains a:

_**Mystery**_

The door had always been there, but why and what for Kagome never knew. She passed it occasionally, never giving it much thought. It was smaller than most doors, and strangely positioned down in the basement. But ultimately, it was just another room in the house. Perhaps if her schedule was not so hectic, what with school and chasing jewel shards, she would have wondered about it more. But as it was, she did not.

"Hey, Kagome! There's a full moon tonight! You better lock all the doors!" laughed Kagome's younger brother, Sota. He added a dramatic 'Whooo!' for effect, which was cut short by the pillow Kagome threw at him.

"Stop goofing around! Mom and Dad left me in charge and it's past your bedtime. So beat it!" Kagome scolded. She had a test the next day, which did not improve her temper.

"Gosh, you're so grouchy tonight! Maybe it's because you're a _werewolf_!" Sota teased.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Well, if I'm a werewolf, you'd better run!" she threatened.

"Oh, fine! You're no fun!" Sota slunk away down the hall to his bedroom.

Kagome sighed. She didn't like to be so mean to her brother, but she had to study. She heard Sota shut the door of his room and turn off the light. The next couple of hours were long and boring, and Kagome was dismayed when she glanced at the clock and found it was a quarter to midnight. _I'm never up this late! _She was about to get up and go to bed when a noise sounded through the quiet house.

_Tap-tap._

Kagome stopped and listened. _Probably just my imagination_, she thought.

_Tap-tap._

There it was again. Kagome's heart pounded, then she checked herself. _Sota! The little creep! _She padded down the hall to Sota's room and opened the door.

"Sota!" she hissed. "Cut that out!" She listened. Nothing but Sota's heavy breathing until:

_Tap-tap._

Kagome drew a sharp breath. The sound had not come from this room. It had come from the basement. She shut the door, her heart doing a drum roll against her ribs. _It's probably nothing! I'll just go to the basement, and there will be nothing there_, she told herself. She retrieved a flashlight from her room and was back in the hall when:

_Thump._

The sound was louder now. Kagome's nerves jangled as she descended the steps to the basement.

_Thump!_

She followed the source of the noise until she stood trembling before the strange, small door. It had a red marking on it that she had never seen before.

_THUMP!_

She took hold of the doorknob and turned it. The door creaked open to reveal only a yawning darkness and cold that chilled her to the bone. She waited tensely. A line from a poem she had once read crossed her mind.

_'Darkness there and nothing more...'_

She was just about to shut the door when a pair of red eyes appeared in the darkness. Her heart stopped. The eyes blinked, and the air was suddenly filled with a cold, piercing wail that penetrated every inch of Kagome. She crumpled to the floor, dropping the flashlight. The bulb broke and she was plunged into darkness. But it didn't matter anymore; she was already speeding away, down, down into blackness...

Kagome awoke in bed the next morning and remembered nothing of the encounter. But for years afterward, after she'd gone to bed and was drifting at the threshold of sleep, she once again glimpsed the mysterious blood-red marking...

A/N: Don't you just love a good unsolved mystery? Yes, that's all there is to this story and you'll have to just use your imagination for some answers.

How terrible.

Do even _I _have a clear idea of what happened in this story? Maybe.

Special cookie points for anyone whocan guessexactly what poem that line is from.


	7. Suspense

On to the seventh chapter, let us do away with the:

_Suspense_

Koga's eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds each as he struggled to raise them. His vision finally cleared and he found himself lying on a deserted mountain path.  
_How did I get here?  
_He sat up and brushed himself off, taking in the surrounding area. It looked like a path he knew, one near his mountain home. But it now had a distinctly lonely feeling, and the setting sun shone its wan light on no one but him.  
_I don't remember coming here.  
_Getting to his feet, Koga spun around and marched off in the direction of the wolf den. He'd barely gone ten yards when suddenly pictures and voices flashed through his head.  
_A dark, rocky area. The smell of blood and danger was heavy on the air. Thunder and lightning ripped the skies, though it did not rain. The sound of flapping wings was deafening.  
_"_Ginta! Watch out!" Koga swung a leg, downing an unseen threat to his friend. Something hit him hard in the back and he fell to the ground. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a daggerlike claw that plunged down at him. Regaining his feet, Koga leaped back into the fray.  
_"_Koga!"  
_Koga shook his head. Where had those thoughts come from? He looked around and was startled to see that he was already back at the den. Not only that, but nobody seemed to be around. Things just kept getting stranger. Koga strode up to the entrance and pushed aside the hanging curtain over the door. Ginta and Hakkaku sat beside a fire in the middle of the room.  
"Hey! There you are, you lazy bums! Where is everyone?" Koga called in a jovial tone. His two followers didn't even look up.  
_Why are they ignoring me?  
_Koga peevishly stomped over to where they sat, heads and tails hanging. "Didn't you hear me? I said _where is everyone_?" the wolf leader hollered, practically straight into their sensitive ears. There was no response except for a hearty sniff from Hakkaku.  
Bewildered, Koga walked around Ginta and waved a hand energetically in his face. His friend didn't move, he just sat there, looking despondent.  
_Turning quickly, Koga lashed out one arm, but received a cutting blow in the face before it connected. He crashed to the ground. Glowing eyes floated above him on hellish wings. A creature roared, and Koga roared back. Thunder crashed as his assailant lunged for him. Koga braced for impact, but its attack was deflected by a fellow wolf. Springing to his feet, Koga shouted a word of thanks and kept going.  
_Koga stumbled back from Ginta. More of those strange…memories, were they? What was going on? More confused than ever, he padded back through the caves to his own room. He walked through the door, looked around and froze.  
Ayame stood there.  
She had her back to him, standing facing his bed, with her head bent over a flower in her hand.  
_Crap! Maybe if I'm quiet, I can sneak out…  
_Stepping backward, Koga made his way, quietly…quietly…almost there…disaster struck. Koga tripped over a rock and fell hard to the floor. His eyes darted to where Ayame stood. She must have heard!  
Nothing. She remained motionless.  
"Okay, enough is enough!" burst out Koga. He stomped around in front of his self-proclaimed fiancée and shouted at her. "WHAT is going ON?" She gave no reaction. Koga glared at her, but his eyes widened as he noticed her face was covered with tears.  
"Ayame?"  
_Fighting, fighting, all around. There were so many! Koga fought for all he was worth, but could feel himself flagging. Several wounds on his arms and legs were telling on his strength. His breath came hard, but he kept fighting. Many wolves around him did the same, and many fell.  
_Clenching his fists, Koga tried to rid his head of these strange pictures. He gazed into Ayame's face and she didn't even seem to see him. Another tear ran down her cheek.  
"Ayame, what's wrong?"  
No answer.  
_He fell briefly to one knee and was almost overcome by an enemy, but managed to scramble up in time to deliver a stinging blow. He was so weak he staggered backward from the effort. The wind was picking up.  
_"_You stupid creatures, get the leader!" Lightning flashed and threw a figure standing on the cliff into sharp relief. A red-eyed, human-looking figure pointing a fan directly at Koga. The Birds of Paradise hovering in the lightning-torn sky screeched and grinned devilishly. As one, they turned and streaked toward Koga, converging upon him.  
_"Koga, why did you leave?" Ayame spoke in a quavering whisper. Koga stared wide-eyed at her, feeling almost desperate with confusion.  
"Ayame…I'm right here."  
_The Birds seemed to strike all at once, shrilling in delight at their obvious advantage. Koga lashed out at any he could reach, but there was always another behind him. His senses were numbed with the pain.  
_"I wish you were still here…your pack still needed you…"  
"Ayame…" Koga reached out to touch her tear-stained face. He brushed one finger down a tear track…and felt nothing.  
His hand went right through her.  
_Koga's hearing came in and out, now louder, now softer. His vision dimmed. Suddenly his arms felt too heavy to move anymore. His legs gave out too, and he slid to the ground.  
__Everything went dark…  
_"No…" Koga was remembering now. A battle against the Birds of Paradise…led by Kagura. But he hadn't…he couldn't have…  
Koga hardly noticed his own tears as he searched Ayame's face for some recognition or comfort. She raised her head, and her eyes gazed straight into Koga's as though she could suddenly see him. But she did not greet him. Instead, she gave Koga the answer he needed, but dreaded at the same time.  
"Koga, why did you die?"

_**The End**_

A/N: If anyone remembers me saying that the Drama chapter took the longest except for one other, meet the one other. Suspense stumped me for ages before I came up with this. I'm still not entirely pleased with it, but I discovered that suspense is difficult to isolate. This story also seems to have some elements of tragedy, horror, dramaand, I suppose, romance. Add in the fact that suspense is supposed to keep people guessing over an extended period and I was trying to cram it into a one-shot, this is the best I could do. And no, I don't see this as a tragic character death.

Special cookie points go to obesesed-fangirl-mimi for recognizing the poem line in the Mystery chapter. I do suggest you read the whole poem if you haven't, though. ;


	8. Spiritual

_Spiritual_

The dividing lines in Samui City were clear to every citizen who lived there. There was a demon side and a human side, and nobody crossed the line. Nobody, that is, except the hanyous. They wandered where they pleased, receiving dirty looks from those on both sides and never really belonging anywhere. Inuyasha was no exception.

"Shoo, ya mongrel! We don't allow demons in here, and that includes you half-demons!" the owner of the restaurant shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Inuyasha.  
"Yeah, grow it out your ear, old man!" snarled the nomadic half-dog demon in return. He turned and stomped away, stabbing the sidewalk with every step. It was the usual routine, being shunned and glowered at everywhere he went. It used to bother him, but not anymore. It was just the way things were.  
Inuyasha stuck out a foot and tripped a briefcase-carrying man walking past him. The man went sprawling on the frozen sidewalk and an oatmeal-raisin cereal bar fell out of his pocket.  
"Oops," said Inuyasha casually, scooping up the bar.  
"You disgusting hoodlum!" raged the man. Inuyasha ignored him and strolled away with his spoils, knowing the stupid yuppie didn't have the guts to try to retake the snack bar. Stealing was often the only way Inuyasha could get food.  
After walking a few blocks, Inuyasha sat down on the steps of a large, steepled building. He unwrapped the cereal bar and munched on it, flicking the raisins at passersby. A human woman walked up the steps, looking askance at the dog-eared young man. She was dressed very nicely, Inuyasha noticed. She also smelled nice, he thought, and sniffed the chilly air for several moments after she had passed to catch the last traces of scent. A few minutes later, a family of humans followed her up the steps. They were dressed well also, and one carried a leather bound book. Soon there was a regular stream of humans entering the building. Most were well dressed, but a few looked like tramps from the street. Inuyasha watched them in confusion, wondering why they were all going in there. He'd never seen them doing it before. He vacated the steps and wandered away down the sidewalk. After a little while, he stopped near an alley and looked back at the strange occurrence.  
"Something wrong?" inquired a voice from the alley.  
"What's it to you?" Inuyasha demanded impulsively as he whirled around to find the person who had spoken.  
"You just looked curious about something, that's all," the speaker replied, undeterred by the half-demon's abrasive personality. Inuyasha didn't know why, but he relaxed a little at the sound of the voice, just enough to take in the person before him. The human was huddled under a ratty blanket in the dirty alley, and he looked thin and cold. He looked too young to be a man, but something about his eyes made him seem much older than he appeared.  
"Well, it's none of your..." Inuyasha began, then decided he might as well get some answers. "Why are all those humans going into there?" He jerked his head toward the building. The alley man smiled. "They're going to church, of course."  
"Church?" echoed Inuyasha.  
"Yes. They go to hear about Jesus Christ and God," said the man.  
"Who are they?" snorted Inuyasha "Some humans who killed off a bunch of demons?" _This sounds like a crock, _he thought  
"'For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, Jesus Christ, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life' John 3:16" said the man. "God created the Earth and everything in it, and Jesus Christ died so that all God's people may be saved and cleansed of sin. God loves us that much."  
"And who are this 'God's' people?" said Inuyasha with a sneer. "Who does He love? The most perfect humans, I suppose?"  
The filthy tramp shook his head slowly and looked back up at Inuyasha with shining eyes. "No. God wants _everyone_."  
Inuyasha didn't know how to take this, so he turned around and strode away. "Yah, whatever," he called over his shoulder.  
"He wants you, too, you know!" the man called at his retreating back.

Snow fell softly from the sky as Inuyasha continued to wander the human side of the city. He considered what the alley tramp had said. _He seemed to really believe what he said,_ Inuyasha thought, _But who in their right mind would die for a bunch of stupid people? _Confused thoughts spinning in his head, Inuyasha suddenly looked up to discover his steps had brought him back to the steepled building. His sensitive dog ears caught the sound of singing from inside. He stood frozen on the sidewalk, and a snowflake gently kissed his nose as he gazed at the warm light the building emitted. A shiver brought him out of his reverie, and a strange feeling such as he had never known in his life came to him. One of being wanted. Of being safe. Of being...home. He slowly walked up the steps and through the doors.

A/N: When I think of the word spiritual, I think of God, so that's how I came up with this very Christian-based fic. And really you have to wonder, if there were half-demons, what would God's attitude toward them be? On one hand, demons are more or less anti-God, but on the other, humans are God's children. I think God would accept anyone who was willing to be accepted.  
I read a few other fics in the spiritual category after writing this, and they didn't seem much like my take on the genre. Any opinions on what 'spiritual' means, or should mean, would be welcome.  
One other note, if anyone speaks a bit more Japanese than is usually seen on anime sites, maybe you'll know why I named the city what I did.


	9. Horror

The humanity, the terror, the…

_**Horror**_

Walking down the forest path leading away from the riverbank in the early evening light, Sango breathed a sigh of relief. It was the new moon again, and Inuyasha was incredibly temperamental, as usual. He never minded making his hatred of being cursed with human weakness known. Sango had invented this quest of searching for some tasty herbs to season their dinner with just to get away from the camp. Kirara had come with her, but had run off in pursuit of some fireflies.

Sango passed half an hour walking through the shadowy trees while the sky darkened to deep blue and more stars began to show. _I'll have to head back soon,_ Sango thought. Kirara hadn't returned yet, but Sango wasn't worried. Kirara could take care of herself.

Sango turned around to start back the way she had come, but felt something suddenly snag her foot. She started and looked down to gaze upon a thick, low-growing vine. Disentangling her foot, Sango bent down for a closer look at the plant by what little light was left. It had waxy green leaves, small red flowers and stems studded with thorns. A funny smell also hung about the plant. Sango thought the description seemed familiar, but couldn't quite place it. She thought back to her father teaching her about plants.

"_Sango, look at this plant, and remember it. You must always avoid it."_

She remembered him saying that, but couldn't remember why he had been warning against the plant. Leaves rustled behind her. Sango jumped to her feet, one hand on her massive boomerang. She relaxed as Kirara stepped out of the bushes.

"Kirara, there you are. Kirara?" Sango stared at the cat demon. Kirara was in full demon form and she was standing oddly rigid. "Are you all right?" Sango reached out to touch her pet, but drew back sharply as Kirara suddenly snarled at her.

"Kirara! What's wrong with-"Sango broke off and dodged to one side as the huge cat demon lunged at her, slashing the air with her fangs. Kirara skidded around and faced Sango again, a dull red shine gleaming in her eyes. Sango searched frantically for any reason Kirara might be acting like this.

"_The plant does strange things to demons. Even tame ones."_

Sango gasped. Was the plant to blame for this? She struggled to remember…

"_Always avoid it. Demons go crazy around the-"_

"Kokochi plant!" Sango cried. The plant that drove demons to severe bloodlust. And Kirara was affected by it.

"Kirara, snap out of it! You know me!" Sango pleaded. Kirara growled and bared her fangs. Drawing out Hiraikotsu, Sango whispered, "Don't make me use this…on you." Another demon howled somewhere off in the woods and Kirara pricked her ears. She hesitated a moment, then tilted her head back and let out a strange, eerie wail that sent shivers up and down Sango's spine. Sango stumbled backward in shock at this mournful sound. It was almost like singing, yet singing had never made her feel so terrified. There was nothing tame about the cry. It was entirely primal. Completely wild.

Kirara's cry tapered off and she set her eyes back on her owner. Her red eyes were hungry and merciless. Sango felt frozen with terror as the wild creature that was no longer her pet took slow, stealthy steps toward her. Stalking steps. The lines between master and pet, predator and prey had twisted together.

Sango knew she had no other choice but to fight back. She jumped to her feet and sent her huge boomerang spinning into Kirara's face. A shield of flame erupted around Kirara, blocking the attack and sending Sango reeling back from the heat. Her head spinning, Sango barely managed to avoid Kirara's next pounce. Hiraikotsu lay charred and useless several yards away. Kirara whirled around to face her prey again. She almost seemed to be laughing at Sango's helplessness. The wind swept through the trees and rustling sounds met Sango's ears. Other demon eyes gazed at her from the leaves.

They were waiting.

Sango turned and dashed away through the woods. Sticks and leaves cut at her face as she stumbled past them, not knowing where she was going except that she had to get away. From behind her came another howl from Kirara, then the sounds of the crazed cat bounding after her. Sango sensed the other demons dashing through the trees alongside her. Her panicked footsteps rang out; she was running blind through the forest. Sango cried out when a rock appeared from the blackness in front of her, and she fell. Searing pain shot up her arm and she screamed, wrenching the limb from Kirara's jaws. Sango tasted blood in her mouth as she kept running. Her predator was only a few steps behind her…she spotted light up ahead. The campfire. She'd found the camp, but she was slowing down now, tired from her frenzied dash.

"Just…a few more…steps…"

She could feel Kirara's hot breath on her back.

"I…can…make it…"

Razor fangs grazed her neck.

"Kirara…"

The fangs found their target. Pain spread from Sango's neck and penetrated every inch of her body as she sank slowly to the ground. She took a great, shuddering breath as blood flowed down her shoulders and pooled on the grass. Kirara purred with pleasure and satisfaction of the kill. As the great cat demon's fangs gripped harder and Sango's vision dimmed, she recalled another saying of her father's…

_Every demon slayer someday finds a demon that they can't defeat._

_**The End**_

A/N: Well, that was a little morbid, wasn't it? And if anyone is thinking they know where I got the idea for this one, I wrote it several months before I saw the first Inuyasha movie. Hopefully I got across the sense of wildness I was going for here.


	10. Supernatural

**_Supernatural_**

Night was falling on the narrow road through the forest and a light rain fell, dampening both the head and the spirits of the lone monk who trudged along it. Miroku glanced around at the darkening woods and sighed. The prospect of spending the night among the misty trees was not an inviting one. An unknown animal howled somewhere in the distance, sending shivers up Miroku's spine, and he started as some birds flew suddenly out of a thicket to his right. "Oh, nothing to worry about!" he said out loud to himself. "Just a few animals, that's all. Nothing at all to-"

"Are you lost?"

The monk jumped a foot in the air, losing his grip on his staff and letting it fall with a muted jingle to the dirt path. He whirled around to see a young woman staring at him out of dark brown eyes. Her pale skin contrasted dramatically with her deep brown hair. She stood oddly straight and rigid. "Are you lost?" she asked again.

"Erm...no, no, why would you think that?" stammered Miroku as he leaned down to retrieve his staff. The young woman didn't answer, but instead gazed upward at the twilit sky for a few moments before looking back at him.

"It's not safe to be out at night," she said in a strangely flat voice, staring unblinkingly at Miroku.

"Well, I'm sure I'll manage..." said Miroku. The woman's eyes seemed to be boring holes into his own, and he stared out into the trees to escape.

"It's not safe," she repeated. "You must stay at my cabin for the night."

"Oh, no, no! I wouldn't dream of imposing...must get going, you know..." Miroku babbled. He didn't know what exactly, but there was something strange about this woman that made him want to get away from her.

"I insist," she said. The monk looked back at her. Her eyes were so entrancing...maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay with her.

"Alright, I accept your most generous offer," Miroku said with a bow. "My name is Miroku. May I know your name?" A faraway look came into the woman's eyes as though she was trying to remember the words to some half-forgotten song. She was silent so long that Miroku had begun to fidget and wonder if he should apologize for offending her. But finally she stated, "Sango. My name is Sango. Follow me." She then turned and walked away through the trees. Miroku trailed after her along some unmarked path to a small, half-overgrown cabin. Sango opened the door and motioned him inside. Miroku hesitated, then walked into the single, musty room. It was lit inside by a one small lantern, which cast a spooky light on a bed, a table, two chairs and a wooden chest.

"Do you live here all alone?" inquired Miroku to break the silence.

"Yes," replied Sango. She opened the small chest and took out a loaf of bread. Miroku took the half of it that she wordlessly handed to him. The rest she placed back in the chest.

"Aren't you going to eat?" asked Miroku.

"I am not hungry." Sango watched him eat in silence. When he had finished, she gestured toward the bed and said, "You must get some rest."

"No, that's alright, I can't take your bed. The floor will do," said Miroku hastily.

"I will be fine," she said. Once again Miroku felt the hypnotic effect of her eyes and short, commanding statements. He lay down on the bed without further argument. Sango sat on the floor, watching him until he fell asleep.

Miroku awoke the next morning to Sango's voice.

"It is morning. You may continue on your way," she said. She made no response as Miroku gathered his things and backed out the door, thanking her profusely. As he was about to leave, the monk stopped and took a gold ring off of his staff. He handed it to Sango.

"Please take this as a token of my gratitude." Sango nodded once and put it in her pocket. Miroku walked away from the cabin, feeling her piercing gaze on his back all the way to the road and trying to ignore the impulse to run. Once back on the path again, he breathed a sigh of relief. "That was the strangest hostess I've ever met," he said to himself.

"Hostess?"

Once again Miroku jumped in fright and whirled around. A traveling merchant stood there, looking at the monk curiously from under his wide hat.

"Yes," said Miroku when he had caught his breath. "The young woman who lives back in the woods there let me stay with her for the night." The merchant tilted his head to the side inquisitively. "What? Nobody lives back there."

"But a young woman named Sango lives back there in a cabin!" said Miroku.

"Sango?" The merchant thought for a moment. "Well, there was a woman by that name who lived in these woods. But she can't have had you stay with her."

"Why not?" asked Miroku. He was thoroughly puzzled by the merchant's statement.

"She died a few years ago when her cabin caught fire."

"Died!" cried Miroku. "It must have been someone else. I met Sango just last night! Here, I'll show you." He trudged back off through the woods, dragging the stammering merchant behind him. But when they reached the cabin, Miroku stopped dead and gasped. There in the woods was the burned out shell of a small cabin. And in the midst of the ruin was a scorched wooden chest, on top of which lay a single gold ring.

**_The End_**


	11. ActionAdventure

_Action/Adventure_

"Tell me again why we have to get this stupid artifact?" grumbled Shippo. He and the two others from his fox tribe had been trudging through the forest all day, searching for an ancient temple.

"Because it is a coming-of-age ritual of our tribe that young adult kitsunes retrieve the artifact from the temple," sighed Kitanya for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Yah, that's what they tell us, but it's really just to get us out of the elders' fur for awhile," sneered Gin.

Shippo laughed and shoved the silver kitsune. "You make us sound like burrs or something."

"Quit messing around. The sooner we get the artifact, the sooner we get home," said Kitanya, smacking Shippo with her tail.

"Sure," said Shippo amiably. "Now, where are we going again?"

"Not going," called Gin as Kitanya attempted to strangle Shippo. "We've found it!" The three kitsunes emerged into a half overgrown clearing to stand before a large stone temple.

"About time!" Shippo said as he headed toward the entrance. "Now let's get going. It'll be a piece of ca--" he stopped mid-sentence as a row of sharp spikes shot up just where he was about to set his paw.

Gin goggled at the spikes for a brief moment, then turned to leave. "Well, we tried!" he said.

"You can't just quit!" snapped Kitanya. "We need your help!"

Shippo stepped back from the spikes. "I think they go all the way around. We'll have to go over them."

Kitanya flipped her gold earring back with a grin. "Easy." She lept into the air, kicked off of a tree and sailed over the spike wall.

Shippo shook off his surprise at this quick solution, then followed suit. Gin hesitated before clearing the barrier while mumbling something like 'I'm not gonna get spiked, I'm not gonna get spiked...'

"That was just the first obstacle. Be ready for anything," warned Shippo. They made their way through the doorway into a long stone hall.

"I _know_," said Gin, then cried, "Kitanya, look out!" Kitanya turned just in time to deflect a poison dart with her armguard.

"More are coming! Move it!" she yelled. Shippo and Gin jumped to avoid three more darts. Darts started shooting from both walls as the three foxes tried desperately to dodge them. Shippo took a breath, then jumped between two rows of flying darts to land out of their range at the end of the hallway. Gin dropped out of nowhere to land beside him.

"Where's Kitanya?" cried Shippo. They heard Kitanya's high pitched yell from a little way to their right.

"_Foxfire!_" Shippo cast his spell just in time to burn up the darts about to hit her. She recovered herself and ran to where the other two crouched.

"I can see why this place isn't on the tourist guides," remarked Gin as Kitanya gasped and squeaked beside them.

"Hey, guys, check this out!" called Shippo from up ahead. The two foxes followed him into a large chamber with nothing in it except a pedestal on which sat a fox statue carved of jade.

"What, that's it?" said Gin incredulously. "Just some spikes and a few poison darts and we get the artifact?"

"Don't be too sure," said Kitanya, looking warily around the chamber.

"Oh, all we have to do is walk up and take it! It'll be a piece of cake!" Shippo said, and advanced toward the statue. But he halted as a strange hissing met their ears.

"Look!" yelled Kitanya. A dozen iridescent blue serpents slithered up around the pedestal in the middle of the room.

"Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?" moaned Gin. The snakes sat for a moment, flicking their tongues in and out, then sped straight toward the kitsunes.

"Move it!" screamed Kitanya. "They're fast!" The serpents were upon them in a flash. The foxes jumped away as the snakes bit and snapped at their legs. Black poison oozed from the snakes' mouths and they twisted their bodies every which way, trying to catch the foxes.

"Split up!" yelled Shippo. "Gin, you go for the statue, Kitanya, you and I will hold them off!" Gin nodded and pulled out his shuriken to slice through the snake that was two inches from his paw.

"Foxfire!" Kitanya scorched two more snakes enough to force them to retreat. Shippo somersaulted off the wall and brought his footclaws down hard just behind a snake's head. The other snakes hissed and advanced, fangs bared, and the two foxes flew at them in tandem to continue the fight.

"I've got it!" called Gin, holding the statue up.

"Good, let's get out of here!"

The snakes suddenly stopped their attack and slipped away through holes in the floor. The foxes watched them go in confusion until a loud scraping noise met their ears.

"The door!" cried Kitanya. The entrance to the chamber was sliding shut. Shippo yelled, "Quick! We have to get under it!" and dashed for the rapidly closing door. Gin and Kitanya ran behind him, the sandy chamber floor grinding against their paws. Gin started to slow down. "We're not going to make it!" he said.

"Oh, yes we are!" snapped Kitanya. She scruffed him like a naughty kit and flung him under the door. She and Shippo then narrowly managed to slide under after him. Kitanya moved her tail just before the door crashed shut on it. The foxes sat breathing hard for a moment.

"Don't rest yet!" yelled Shippo suddenly. A stream of fire issued from the wall straight toward them. The weary foxes tumbled out of the way only to be met with another fire jet.

"They're everywhere! Just get out!" screamed Kitanya. They dashed for the light of the exit, leaping over and around the flaming jets. Ears and tails were scorched as they dodged in between them, but when they reached the door, a solid wall of flame sprang up before them.

"Just run through!" cried Gin. "We're not getting out otherwise!" The foxes couldn't help but scream as their bodies were engulfed in flame, then they were out and rolling on the ground to extinguish the fire. Silence reigned for the first time in what seemed an eternity while the foxes caught their breath...then Shippo sat up and grinned at the others.

"See? Piece of cake!"

_**The End**_


	12. Romance

After a long hiatus, the entire duration of which I now feel as if I spent living in my mom's station wagon, I finally got chapter 12 up. Hang on to your heart(and your lunch)as you read the fluff-ridden:

_Romance_

Kagome sat at the kitchen table, staring at her reflection in her cup of tea. Another morning spent alone. She sighed, blowing a few strands of hair off her face.

_This isn't what I thought marriage would be like._

Kagome's eyes darted to the bedroom door, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they'd open and Inuyasha would come join her for breakfast. That he'd greet her with a morning kiss like he used to. Kagome's mouth curved upwards slightly as she remembered the mid-summer day he'd asked her the question.

"_Kagome? Can I ask you something?"_

"_What is it, Inuyasha?"_

Her smile grew when she pictured the look on his face. Scared and soft and determined and hopeful, all at the same time.

"_Kagome, do you think…I mean…"_

"_Yes?"_

She'd wanted to hug him just for how vulnerable he'd looked then, even though her heart was thumping like crazy.

"_Kagome, will you marry me?"_

The memory dimmed and Kagome's smile faded. They'd been so happy the first couple of years together. But now, it seemed, things weren't the same. Kagome left for her job in the morning before Inuyasha even awoke. He worked late and the only words they spoke over dinner were a few stilted 'how was your day' exchanges. He even seemed to avoid her gaze now. Whenever she looked toward him, his eyes flicked away. Sometimes she got the feeling that he wanted to say something to her, but he always remained silent.

Even today, Valentine's Day.

Kagome pushed her cup forward and laid her head down on her arms. This unexplained tension between her and her husband was sapping her usual energy. On the cabinet across the table, the clock ticked resolutely onward, reminding her that she had to leave for work soon. _But I'm so tired, _she thought. _Maybe if I just close my eyes for a few minutes…_

Kagome's eyes fluttered open. _Did I fall asleep? _

The bedroom door was open. Inuyasha must have left for work. Realizing what that must mean, she sat bolt upright and stared at the clock.

"Oh, no! I was supposed to be at work two hours ago!" Kagome jumped out of her chair and rushed to the phone to call her boss, mapping out an apology in her head. She had the receiver in her hand and the number half dialed when she noticed the message light blinking. _Who would have called this early? _She pressed the message button. Her boss's brisk voice came from the machine.

"Kagome, just wanted to call and tell you that since your husband called to say you'd be staying at home today, I'm going to have Kikyo work on your project. Hope to see you at work tomorrow."

_Inuyasha called…? _Her momentary panic waning, Kagome slowly walked back to the table. She sank into her chair…and let out a small gasp. Her mug was gone and the table empty except for one thing. She hadn't noticed it before in her mad dash for the phone.

It was a rose. A single red rose lay on the table, reflected in the polished wood surface. It was the most beautiful flower she had ever seen. Kagome reached out and picked it up, her breath caught in her throat. A piece of red paper was wrapped around the stem. She unrolled it with trembling fingers and read the words written there in silver ink.

_For all the times I wasn't there_

_The times I didn't say I cared_

_The loving moments I let slip by_

_Every tear I failed to see in your eye_

_For every time I forgot to say_

_I love you_

_Happy Valentine's Day_

_I'm sorry._

_Love, Inuyasha_

A tear rolled down Kagome's cheek and fell onto one of the crimson rose petals. She felt a radiating smile stretch across her face, and suddenly, the world seemed a little brighter.

_**The End**_

A/N: I still wasn't quite satisfied with the ending of this one, but no brilliant flashes of finishing-touch inspiration reared their sparkly heads, andI got tired of waiting to post it. I'm not a romance person, but as I set out to come up with something for ALL the genres, this fluffy-tailed plot bunny and the Hallmarkian poem that accompanies it came into being. Note that if I EVER hazard to write romance, the pairing will generally be canon. And of course, as I mentioned before, the brief cameo-esque mention of Kikyo in this fic is as far as she ever made it into this series.


	13. Parody

It's just like the original!…only dumber.

_**Parody**_

Naraku rolled over on his sleeping mat, grumbled, and rolled again. He wasn't sleepy at all, but Kanna had made him go to bed. She was watching him now, to make sure he slept. It wasn't fair! All his detachments got to stay up later than he did. A quiet shuffle sounded out in the corridor, and Naraku lifted one eyelid. It was just Kagura, skulking again. Hoping she could kill him, as usual.

"Go to sleep, you need rest," Kanna said in her hushed voice. Naraku made a discontented noise, but shut his eyes again. He tried counting demon incarnations, but it didn't work. His eyes snapped open. Sighing, his gaze traced around his room and fell on the open window. The Moon drifted in and out of wispy clouds.

_Goodnight, Moon._

Naraku wondered where that thought had come from. He shrugged mentally and kept looking out the window.

_Goodnight, Moon. Goodnight, world I'll conquer soon._

Naraku smiled. This was fun. He wondered what else he could say goodnight to. Wriggling around under his blanket, Naraku took stock of nearby things. Trees, Kanna and the chair she was sitting in, the stars. His small collection of toy animals, including his raccoon-dog, Pooky(whom NOBODY was to know about but himself and Kanna!)and his Inuyasha voodoo doll. The leftovers of his before-bed snack, a comb with broken teeth, pictures of his various incarnations and possessed servants. He sniffed in displeasure when his eyes fell on a pair of socks that hadn't been washed for a few weeks.

_Goodnight, stars. Goodnight, snack bars._

_Goodnight grass, Goodnight feudal nation. Goodnight, plans for world domination._

_I'm pretty good at this, _Naraku thought smugly.

_Goodnight, Pooky. Goodnight, Kanna. Goodnight, Inuyasha lanced through with katanas._

_Goodnight, Kohaku, Goodnight, Goshinki. Goodnight socks that are really stinky._

****Naraku's eyelids were starting to grow heavy…he blinked and yawned widely.

_Goodnight, comb. Goodnight, chair. Goodnight, stringy, greasy hair._

****Out in the hall, Kagura whispered something that sounded like 'Die, Naraku!' but Naraku himself just sniggered.

_Goodnight, wind. Goodnight, sky. And goodnight to the grump lady whispering, 'Die!'_

Naraku rolled over and, as his pet cockroach scuttled across the floor, whispered aloud,

_"Goodnigh, cockroach. Goodnight, air. Goodnight, evil everywhere."_

And with that, Evil Incarnate nestled down in his blankie and fell into a peaceful slumber.

N/A: For those of you who were deprived as children, this is a play on _Goodnight Moon_. This is the shortest of my stories, and was tons of fun to write because I got to make Naraku as babyish and goofy as I liked. Then, with the throwback to his true role in the series at the very end, I suppose one realizes how truly ridiculous this parody is and trails off to another webpage in search of something intelligent to read.


	14. SciFi

Look out for alchemically mutated chimeras and watch your step around the wormholes…

_**Sci-Fi**_

_Blue…all I can see is blue, all around…_

"Specimen One Four Seven Two gaining consciousness."

_Voices…who was talking?_

"Excellent. Inject him now."

Pain burns my back. But I do not mind pain very much.

"That should be enough."

The burning stops. Things are clearer now. I'm suspended in some kind of liquid, my arms and legs held away from me, long hair floating freely around me. But I can breathe. What's wrong with me? _Is_ there something wrong with me? Is this normal?

_Who am I?_

I don't know.

"Drain the capsule."

A loud clank sounds and bubbles rise from the floor. I feel my arms and legs released and I drift to the floor as the thick blue liquid flows away. I raise my head. Clear glass is in front of me now. A man is standing there. Stringy, black hair falls over the shoulders of his white coat. The coat has red stains on it. His eyes are red and his mouth is curved into a mean smile.

Somehow I know he is to be hated.

"Do you know how special you are?" he asks. I glare at him. It doesn't appear to bother him, and he continues speaking.

"You are the first to survive the alterations." His gaze drifts, like he's not talking to me anymore. "When I saw you, I knew you were strong enough. And now…you're even stronger." His evil eyes shoot back to me, now accompanied by a twisted grin. "You are the first demon cyborg!"

All this does not mean much to me. I'm standing up now and looking at him. Suddenly my silence seems to perturb him.

"Well? Don't tell me you could destroy this whole nation but you can't speak," he snaps at me.

"Why speak when I have nothing to say to you?" I ask. That doesn't seem to be the response he desired. His expression changes to a frown.

"Don't you think you should show me some more respect, demon?" There is a mocking note in his voice that I don't like.

"I was not aware that you had done anything to merit my respect," This seems to touch a nerve, and all traces of mirth vanish from his face.

"I gifted you with unsurpassable strength. I created you, as you are now!" he hisses. "I am Doctor Naraku, and now…I have created the perfect fighting machine." He laughs in a low tone and looks back at me, a slightly mad light kindling in his eyes now. "All previous experiments to unite machine and demon have failed. I myself have had trouble keeping specimens alive. But when we found you…I knew we would succeed. Look at yourself!"

He presses a button and a mirror moves up in front of me. Though I have only a vague recollection of my own appearance before now, I am surprised at my looks.

The left half of the skin of my face has a silvery metallic sheen, and my left eye is no longer golden like the right one, but glows blue. Two reddish stripes mark either side of my face. My upper body is covered with silver metal plates, and though my right arm appears unchanged aside from some black armor, the left is entirely metal and wires, with what look like various guns circling the hand. My feet seem to be covered by metal boots, but I know that I could not remove them if I tried. I find that I know all the new functions of my body already. The mirror sinks away into the floor and the one called Dr. Naraku is leering at me.

"Do you see? You are perfect. With your demon immortality and powers, mechanical weapons and enhancements, nothing can stand in your way!" He smiles insanely. "And I control you."

I have been calm thus far, but now I feel something stir in me. It feels like…anger. This Dr. Naraku…what right did he have to change me so? And if I am all-powerful, how can he control me?

Of the first question, I decide that I enjoy my new power and that it is not an issue. But I feel that we should straighten a few things out concerning the second.

"If I am as powerful as you say, why should I obey you?"

His face hardens at this question.

"Do you think I would create a killing machine without safeguards?" he sneers. "You may think you can rebel, but I removed your free will in the process of enhancing you. You must do as I say."

He laughs confidently, but I don't believe him. I feel no sense of oppression or control. I will test his claim.

"If what you say is true, then I cannot break out of this capsule without your permission," I say. He answers, "Yes."

"I'm going to shatter this glass, then I'm going to kill you."

He is visibly taken aback, but recovers himself. "Oh, you're going to kill your creator? Isn't that precious." He snickers. "No, you will stay where you are"

I draw back a fist…and smash it through the glass. Dr. Naraku's eyes widen in shock and he shields his face from the flying shards. I take the opportunity. I've got his throat in my hand before he realizes I'm even close. I grip tightly and raise him off the ground. He chokes, then…he starts to laugh.

"It appears…I've made an error," he gasps, still snickering. "So…now what? Are you going…to kill me…like you…said?"

"To be honest, I don't care to waste more time or strength on you than I already have. I may spare you…if…"

He stops struggling. He doesn't have the breath for it. "If…what?"

"If you tell me my name."

He smiles defiantly. "Specimen One Four Sev...Ah!" He gasps as I tighten my grip.

"Not that name, you inane cretin," I snarl. "Not the number you assigned. My true name."

"Your…name…_Sesshoumaru_."

I level my gun arm at his head. He winces and cowers as best he can while dangling. I laugh, twitch the gun to the side and blast a hole in the wall.

"Thank you for your assistance…_Doctor_." I throw him into the half shattered capsule, where he slumps unconscious. I head for the newly made exit.

Sesshoumaru, Demon Cyborg.

It has a nice ring to it.

_**The End**_

A/N: This surprised me as being one of my favorite stories in this collection. I thought I would be terrible at Sci-fi (even though that happens to be a T.V. channel my dad watches often) and racked my brains for any suggestion of a story idea that wouldn't turn out as a hopeless cliché. Then the idea for this hit me so hard I swear it bruised. The thing I was most pleased about in the end was that Sesshoumaru seems to stay in character, which I had trouble with to start. But you can be the judge of character in your review. Hint


	15. Humor

If anyone says I joke too much, I'll say I'd rather laugh than cry.

_**Humor**_

"She's late again!" groused Inuyasha. The clearing around the well was lit with dappled sunshine that danced in the lush green grass and fluffy cumulus clouds drifted across the clear blue sky, but the beauty of the day grew dim in comparison with Inuyasha's stormy mood.

"Calm down, Inuyasha. I'm sure Kagome will be here soon," said Miroku in a pacifying tone.

"Is Kagome here yet?" Sango walked into the clearing, Kirara tumbling through the grass behind her.

"No, not yet," answered Shippo before Inuyasha could start ranting again. "I hope she remembers my candy." But Inuyasha's temper was stretched to the breaking point and he began venting on the fox kit.

"Who cares about your stupid candy, it's the jewel shards we need to--"

"Inuyasha, SIT BOY!" Kagome had just climbed out of the well, hauling her yellow backpack. The rosary-bound hanyou crashed to the ground in response to her shout, where he lay twitching.

"Yay, you're back!" cried Shippo happily.

"Hi, Shippo! Here are your lollipops. Sorry I'm late, everyone," said Kagome.

"So, what held you up this time?" snarled Inuyasha, clambering out of the hole his fall had caused. "The impossibility of finding a nice shirt to wear? Run out of automatically heated water for your bath?" He straightened up and his back cracked. "Ow! Huh! You make living in your era sound so difficult!"

"For your information, it can be difficult!" snapped Kagome.

"Well, Kagome, you must admit that things are much easier in your time," said Miroku.

"Oh, don't you start!" said Kagome. "Things are harder than you think!"

"Yeah, right," Inuyasha sneered. "Go to school, eat and sleep! That's all you have to do!"

"You think you're so great! You couldn't even do the weekly shopping in my time! Neither of you!" Kagome yelled, turning from Inuyasha to Miroku.

"Want to put money on that? Come on, Miroku!" Inuyasha stormed past Kagome, grabbed Miroku's robes and stomped over to the well. "Later, Miss Living-In-My-Era-Is-So-Hard! We'll be back--with groceries!" And, ignoring Miroku's protests, he jumped down the well, and they were gone.

"I really wish you hadn't acted so rashly, Inuyasha," sighed Miroku as the two of them stood outside the modern day supermarket. "We could have settled the argument without all this."

"Don't worry, we'll be in, out, and back in the feudal era in no time." Inuyasha dragged the monk up to the doors, which slid open. Miroku tore his robe from Inuyasha's grasp and shouted, "Stand back, Inuyasha! The doors are possessed! I must purify them!" he plunged a hand into his robes for his talisman cards.

"Would you mind moving?" a man stood behind them, waiting for them to enter.

"Not until I rid these doors of the evil spirits!" cried Miroku, and smacked one door with his staff.

"Don't be ridiculous!" said the man, pushing past them. "They're just automatic doors! You don't get out much, do you?"

"Right, of course," said Miroku sheepishly, and followed him into the store, still looking distrustfully at the doors. Once they were in, Inuyasha copied the man and picked up a blue basket from a stack by the door.

"Okay, now what do we get?" said Inuyasha.

"You don't know?" said Miroku.

"Gimme a break, I've never done this before!" grumbled Inuyasha.

"Alright, calm down, it can't be that hard. We'll just split up and look around for things that look like you might need them on a daily basis," reasoned Miroku, taking another basket. "We'll meet back here in ten minutes." The monk walked off in the direction of the bakery. Inuyasha ambled over to a display of various types of cans. _Hmmm, _he thought, _this looks good_. He selected a can of cherry pie filling and put it in his basket. _Just like I thought! There's nothing to this shopping stuff!_ He continued on his way to some shelves on which sat colorful cardboard boxes.

"Why do humans need so much different stuff?" he mumbled to himself. He settled on a box of 'Kotton Kandy Kurlies', then moved on to the next aisle. Three aisles later, he had acquired an acorn squash, a carton of tofu, a can of diced squid and a mop head. The hanyou turned onto yet another aisle and stopped dead, staring at what the shelves there held. He gasped. The sight was too wonderful to take in. Never in his life had he seen so much...

"_RAMEN!_"

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Miroku wandered through the store, the other customers shooting him strange looks on account of his monk's robe and staff. He stopped in front of a rack filled with bread and doughnuts and gazed at them in confusion.

"Oh, yuck, I would never get those doughnuts! I always get the low-carb ones. Carbs are absolutely _evil_." Miroku jumped and turned to see the woman who had spoken. She was talking to another woman and holding a pack of doughnuts in one hand. Miroku walked up to her.

"Ah, it's nice to know that a beautiful young lady such as yourself is so conscious of the purity of grain products," he commented in a friendly tone. "I see you have also chosen the pure white powdered doughnuts!" He smiled winningly at the women, who were staring at him with raised eyebrows.

"Um, sure," said the first one, not sounding sure at all. Miroku didn't know how to react to this, so he kept talking. "Their continuing, round shape is also a symbol of purity, is it not? And by the way, since the two of us have such similar concerns, I was wondering if you'd consider bearing my children?" The woman's confused expression changed to one of anger faster than a set of traffic lights.

"Why of all the nerve! You _pervert_!" she screamed. She slapped him across the face, turned on her heel, and stomped away, towing her friend behind her. _Well, women in this time aren't much different_, Miroku thought as he picked out some low-carb powdered doughnuts. Glad that he at least had one item, he continued on his way. Some lit shelves on which sat several kinds plastic containers caught his eye, but when he reached for something on the shelf his hand grew cold, and he drew back sharply.

"What is this?" he wondered aloud. "Are these some forbidden items?" As he stood dumbly staring at the plastic bottles, a child wandered up and grabbed a bottle filled with brown liquid. She ran back to her mother and begged for the item's purchase.

"Hmm, the child seems unaffected by the cold. Perhaps only children may remove these items from the shelf," he said to himself. He glanced around and spotted a small boy gazing at the bottles filled with orange liquid. Miroku sidled up next to him and addressed him.

"Excuse me, young man," said the monk politely, and pointed to an opaque bottle with 'Coffee Maid' written on it. "Would you mind removing that item from the shelf and placing it in my basket?" He held up his basket hopefully. The boy stared at him for a moment…and then opened his mouth wide.

"MOOOOM!" Miroku was taken aback at this, and patted the boy on the back to comfort him, but the child continued to yell.

SMACK! Miroku jolted backward as the child's mother struck him with her purse.

"Get away from my son!" she shouted. "I'm warning you!" She raised the purse again.

"I was merely requesting that he--"

"Beat it, you creep!" The enraged woman swung the purse, knocking the Coffee Maid bottles from the shelf. Miroku snatched one up, ignoring the cold tingle in his hand, and bolted for the entrance to find Inuyasha and get out of this terrifying place.

"Is that all you got?" scoffed Inuyasha when he and Miroku met up again near the checkout.

"I experienced some difficulties," answered Miroku composedly. "And anyway, you mostly just got Ramen!" The monk pointed at Inuyasha's basket, full to overflowing with Ramen packets.

"Let's just take our stuff and go," said Inuyasha.

"Hold on! We have to get our items checked by those people up there." Miroku indicated the checkout lines. The hanyou grumbled but followed him over to a checker. The man behind the counter smiled at them as he began scanning their groceries. "Paper or plastic?" he asked. Miroku and Inuyasha stared stupidly at one another.

"Paper," said Inuyasha firmly. _At least I've heard of it_, he thought.

"All right, your total is $18.86," said the checker. Inuyasha bobbed his head once, then stopped. He turned to Miroku with a strange look on his face.

"Miroku?"

"Yes?"

"Did you bring any money?"

_**The End**_

**__**

A/N: I finally got it up, the last of this series and my personal favorite. It came easily, was fun to write, and gave me yet another opportunity to make my computer blow a wire insisting that 'Kotton Kandy Kurlies' is not proper English. This little episode is assumed to take place before Kagome brings Inuyasha to her era with her.

Well, if any of you nice readers were paying attention in the beginning, you might remember that I said I would be asking you which chapter you liked best. Guess what. I'm asking now! Just tell me in a review which genre-fic you liked best and you will have my great appreciation. Sorry if anyone was expecting a monetary reward.

Thanks to everyone who read.I hope I'll manage to get something else up soon and that it will be more agreeable for you to read it than, say, eat twice-leftover brussels sprouts in pickle brine. Until then.


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